The Truth
by Yoru No Grim
Summary: Just as caution! My first windshipping one-shot! Please R&R!


8BTFreek: Well, seeing as how I've got something of a friend in Pureauthor, and seeing as how I told him I'd write a Windshipper, and seeing as how he dedicated a fic to me (how kind of him,) I'm getting this started.  
  
Nynaeve: About time, too.  
  
8BTFreek: A-hem. Anyway, the song is "Iris" by the Goo Goo Dolls. The title of the fic is "The Truth".  
  
Nynaeve: Get on with it!  
  
8BTFreek: In conclusion, I just want to finish with the disclaimer before I start typing the actual fic.  
  
Nynaeve: Hurry it up!  
  
8BTFreek: Okay, okay! I am not the owner of Golden Sun, nor am I the owner of "Ask The Lonely." But I am the owner of this fanfic, even if the situation is a bit cliche. It is mine, my own, and nobody can take it from me! *eyes gleam* Preciousssssss... precioussssssss...  
  
**The Truth**  
  
(Ivan's POV)  
  
I sighed as I looked at the angel sitting downriver. It had been five weeks since we had taken the Teleport Lapis to look for her past, and we still had no success. I looked at her again, and the feeling swept over me, stronger than it had been before. I muttered a few words I'd seen in a book. "And I'd give up forever to touch you, 'cause I know that you feel me somehow. You're the closest to heaven that I've ever been, and I don't want to go home right now." She looked up at me, but I quickly looked away. Damn this shyness, I thought. That's the one thing I don't need. I can't be shy. I tried thinking about something else, but my thoughts inevitably came back to her. I wonder what she was talking with Feizhi about back in Xian.  
  
(Sheba's POV)  
  
I stared out at the river, wondering if Ivan would ever love me. He had been looking at me a lot, but that didn't mean anything. After all, he'd probably never seen a child of the gods before. I hated that title, but it was probably all I'd ever be. He seemed truly depressed when the answer wasn't in Contigo. That's when he decided to ask to borrow Piers's ship. I walked over to him. "Ivan, are you alright?" He straightened up, moved over, then nodded.  
  
"What? Oh, yes. Um, would you like to sit here?" He motioned to the grass next to him. I agreed. Things had been hard since we tried to find our old traveling companion. He seemed troubled. I tried peering into his mind, but he pushed my hand away. "Please don't," he whispered. "If you want to know something, just ask."  
  
"Why did you come with me? Why were you the one to volunteer?" The question wasn't what I'd planned on asking, but it had been on my mind. I put my arm around his shoulder. [A/N: I do like to do that, yes. It's just my style.]  
  
(Ivan POV)  
  
Her arm wrapped itself around my shoulder, and my heart felt lighter. She really was more beautiful up close, but I could never tell her that. Thoughts ran through my head, but they seemed to all say this: "And all I can taste is this moment, and all I can breathe is your life. 'Cause sooner or later it's over, I just don't want to miss you tonight." I shrugged. "Well, it's mainly because I thought I could help you. I guess not, though. I'm pretty worthless, aren't I?" She turned to face me.  
  
"No, you aren't. If you were useless, how could you have helped Mia and the others defeat Saturos and Menardi on top of Venus Lighthouse?" Her words comforted, but they weren't true. I had choked up there. It was just luck that kept me from getting killed. I just got in the way of the others, though they never said so. She turned me towards her, gave me a small embrace, then walked off. I considered walking after her, but it wouldn't have been right, chasing a lady when she didn't even love you.  
  
(Sheba POV)  
  
I looked back. At least he wasn't following me. I knew what I had to do. That girl in Xian had said it, plain as day. "Your path is split. Behind you, in your childhood, lies an age of innocence, where all was as it seemed. Ahead lies the rest of your life, where nothing is certain except death. The truth shall elude you if you are bound, but when you are free, there shall be the answer. And your world will break apart without that."  
  
"Well, if that means avoiding love, then I shall. If it means that I cannot stay in this world, then it means that." I shook my head. Everything would break apart if I didn't find my past. "And I don't want the world to see me, 'cause I don't think that they'd understand. When ev'rything's made to be broken, I just want you to know who I am." Looking down at the ground, I shook my head again. The prophecy certainly must have meant I should avoid love. But how could I, when the very person that I had to avoid was here with me?  
  
I pulled out my journal. It seems I had no way of saying it otherwise. I just had to write it down. I wrote about how I felt, confident that the feelings would disappear. It didn't. Writing about it just made me think of him more-his smile, his no worries attitude, his blonde hair... I blushed. Honestly, if I couldn't get him out of my head, how was I supposed to stay out of love?  
  
An hour later, he walked over to the area we had set up for our camp and fell asleep. I stayed up for a few minutes before turning in myself. When I woke, I noticed he was already up. He said a quick "Good Morning" before going back to what he was doing-cooking our breakfast.  
  
(Ivan POV)  
  
It had been three hours since I woke up, and she was already preparing for travel. I slowly walked over to her, then tapped her shoulder. She jumped a mile into the air, spun, and gave me her best attempt at a "glare of doom," which was less impressive than Mia's. "Sheba, we don't have to go right now. We should probably wait for a while."  
  
She shook her head. "No, Ivan. We need to get going now. Otherwise, we'll be behind, and we might miss Piers while he's still in Madra." She stood up, then pulled her cloak up tighter. She seemed distant. Raising my eyebrows, I asked her what was so important. Without looking at me, she replied, "Well, we need to get to Madra so we can meet Piers, and he's probably not going to be there long."  
  
"If he's there at all," I said. "Remember, he's usually in Vale these days." I grabbed my equipment and walked off to the side. "But if you think it's best..." I walked off to the city to the south. There was no large ship docked outside, and nobody in the city had seen Piers in the last few days. After returning to her, I told her what had happened.  
  
"Oh, bloody hell," she muttered. After that, she gasped. Apparently, she hadn't meant to say that out loud. I actually thought it was good for her to get her anger out now. That way, she wouldn't take it out on me. "Well, let's go to Vale. Maybe he's there." Her voice was still tight, but at least she wasn't angry any more. I nodded, then took out the Lapis.  
  
(S POV)  
  
After discovering that Piers wasn't in Vale either, I began to get nervous. Where was he? If he didn't show up soon, then... I might never find my past, and that frightened me more than even the Doom Dragon. At least Felix's parents had allowed me to stay there. I had to find the one person that could help me. That meant stealing the Lapis from Ivan while he was asleep. It was either that or running off to Vale and asking the Great Healer to get me a ship to Contigo. I could ask Hama about my future there, and she would tell me if I would ever find my past. I decided to walk off to find a ship. Unfortunately, Ivan was sleeping right out in the open, a bunch of twigs piled around every exit to make sure he could wake up if there was an attack. I sighed. There was only one thing to do: try and escape him while we were traveling.  
  
A few hours later, he woke up. I guess he was surprised to see me sitting there, but he just shrugged, grinned, and grabbed some of the travel rations we'd packed. "Well, we'd better get going. No telling what could happen if we don't leave on time." He sighed. "At least you aren't angry any more. I swear, when you get angry, you don't fool around. Almost like Garet," he mused, a grin splitting his face. That grin ruined the seriousness of the remark. "Well, let's get going! We've got a lot of ground to cover." With that, he grabbed the Lapis. "You know, I was half-expecting you to try to leave in the middle of the night. I'm surprised. It's good to count on you." He looked out as he cast the spell. Once again, I had the feeling that I should cry, but I had already cried all my tears. The whole setting had a surreal setting.  
  
"I should be crying, but there are no tears left. What's wrong with me?" I shivered.  
  
He looked at me. "And you can't fight the tears that ain't comin', or the moment of truth in your eyes. When ev'rything feels like the movies..." I read his mind to see what he was thinking. {Yeah, you bleed just to know you're alive,} they said. Apparently, he was thinking it was dangerous here. Then I looked around. We were standing in the Inner Anemos Sanctum. I asked him to transport me out, and he agreed. But he didn't let go of the lapis. He went back in. In that moment, I ran to Hama's dwelling.  
  
(Ivan POV)  
  
I looked out at the land. I had done that so I could go somewhere to think, but she apparently didn't like the return to the place where we'd killed Dullahan. I contemplated things for a moment. There were not many places where there could be strong enough winds to blow a person off his or her feet. Then it hit me. There was one place: Air's Rock. I would have to get there, though. I knew that there was a city named Garoh close by, so I teleported there. One of the people looked at me, then jumped up and down shouting, "An Adept! An Adept! Maha, come quickly! There's an Adept to see you!" Out of one of the houses strode a lupine man.  
  
(Sheba POV)  
  
When I went back to where I'd seen Ivan, I saw a little note. Written on it were these words: "And I don't want the world to see me, 'cause I don't think that they'd understand. When ev'rything's made to be broken, I just want you to know who I am." I turned it over. There was more writing on the back. "I heard you mumbling this in your sleep one night. Thank you for the clue. I'll be back. All my love and more," Ivan's signature was scrawled on the bottom. I went back to Hama's place. There wouldn't be any more wandering. Maybe my love for him was too strong. Maybe I wouldn't find it.  
  
On the third day after he left, Ivan returned. I had realized something two days back: I missed him more than I had missed anyone I had ever known. I rushed over to him and we embraced. "Oh, Ivan. I missed you more than I've ever missed anyone before! I guess I didn't realize it until now, but I love you!" He blinked at those words, then grabbed me tighter.  
  
"You mean it?" He looked into my eyes. I could tell what he was about to do. "Mind read," he whispered.  
  
"I love you, even if admitting it means my past won't be found. Even if my world breaks because I'm bound to you forever, I'll still love you." I didn't bother to think it; I just said it. My thoughts echoed my words, and the smile on Ivan's face showed that he knew it.  
  
"But love will set you free from the bonds of the mundane. Didn't you realize that?" He ushered me in, sat me down, and said, "I'll be right back, so don't move, okay? I've got a surprise for you." A moment later, he came in with Maha. Old Maha from Garoh had come to visit with him, for some odd reason.  
  
Maha explained the whole tale. Apparently, Ivan had come asking whether there had been any children born who weren't werewolves. Maha had told him of the circumstances where that could happen-the mother needed to be just so strong, she had to have touched the stone inside of Air's Rock, and so on. Ivan asked if such a thing had ever happened, and he had said "Yes, with my own daughter. But she was taken away almost fifteen years ago. My wife went to attempt the Rock once more, and she took our baby daughter with her. Neither was seen alive again. My wife's body was found flattened against a wall of the maze, and my daughter was nowhere to be found. I only hope that she is alive." Ivan had asked what caused their disappearances. "'A tornado', I replied. Apparently, he had some idea that you were my daughter." He looked at me closely, something that he had never done before. "Come to think of it, you look just like my wife did at your age. The same eyes, the same hair, the same face..." His face lit up. "And your attitude... I remember now. That was how she would act whenever she got impatient." He looked at me differently now, and I looked at him. Memories began floating up from below. Old memories of smiling faces, someone who looked like me, only older, and someone with dark hair and a wolfish grin. Someone who looked a lot like Maha would if he had a human form anymore. I had seen those memories before, back in Lalivero. I choked as I realized who those people had been.  
  
"Father," I whispered.  
  
"My daughter. And we never would have known the truth." He looked at Ivan. "Except for a few words whispered in your sleep, and the dedication of a loving man. I look forward to the wedding." Ivan and I sputtered.  
  
"W-wedding?!" we shouted in unison. "Now hold on," began Ivan. "We can't! We're not old enough! We'd be..." He stopped, blushing. I read his mind. {We'd be shunned or something! Besides, we're not old enough! Gods, man, we're only fifteen!} I slapped him. Then, as an afterthought, I punched him in the gut.  
  
"And what difference does fifteen make?" I asked, trying to make my voice sound as cold as possible. Apparently, it worked.  
  
"Well, uh..." He stuttered.  
  
"Didn't you help defeat Saturos and Menardi when you were fifteen? Weren't you fifteen when we lit Mars? In fact, aren't you fifteen right now?" I tried glaring at him, and surprisingly, he wilted.  
  
"Okay, okay, I'm just... nervous. Okay, go laugh at me. I just don't feel ready for anything like that right now." He put his arm around me. "But I still love you. I know that much, at least." He grinned again, that silly grin that had cheered me up on the road whenever I'd felt hopeless. "C'mon, Sheba, whaddya say?"  
  
"Oh, all right," I sighed. Secretly, I breathed a sigh of relief. Oddly enough, he'd just said what I felt. I turned his face toward mine and kissed him.  
  
***  
  
8BTFreek: Okay, Nynaeve, you can stop retching now! I'm done typing. Honestly, muses are supposed to find something they don't like, but that's something RM would do!  
  
Nynaeve: Well, do you _have_ to make it seem so... disgusting? Simplistic? Idiotic? Drawn-out? Torturous? As sick and twisted as you are? Take your pick.  
  
8BTFreek: Fine, fine, fine. Look, review. Please. Tell me if you agree with me or Nynaeve! Is this a good fic? A bad fic? Or is it okay, but in need of work? Is it bad, and in need of taking-down? I need to know! Please, review! 


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